Raphaël

Biography

Raphaël Haroche (born 7 November 1975), professionally known under his mononym Raphael, is a French singer–songwriter and actor.

Personal and media life

Raphael was born as Raphaël Haroche on 7 November 1975 in Paris, France, and was raised in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine. His father is of Moroccan and Russian Jewish descent and his mother is Argentinian. One of his paternal uncles is physics Nobel prize laureate Serge Haroche.
During his childhood and his adolescence, Raphael played the piano and the guitar.
In June 2007, Raphael placed ninth on the French Elle magazine "15 Sexiest Man" list. He has been in a relationship with actress Mélanie Thierry, who appeared in the music video for his single "Caravan". On 24 May 2008, Thierry gave birth to the couple's first child, Roman. Their second son, Aliocha, was born in December 2013. Their third son, Isaac, was born in May 2024. The couple married in June 2022.

Musical career

In 2000, Raphael released his first album Hôtel de l'univers (the title is a tribute to Arthur Rimbaud), but it was not until three years later that he enjoyed his first mainstream success with the song Sur la Route, a duo with famous French singer Jean-Louis Aubert, included in his second album La Réalité×La Réalité18 April 2003 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Comme un homme à la mer4:022Ô compagnons3:223Il ira loin3:504La Mémoire des jours4:165Il y a toujours3:416Au temps des colonies2:187Être Rimbaud4:28819003:119Sur la route3:5110La Réalité3:4311Des mots3:3512Suivez la musique8:06. With this album, he chose folk music.
In 2005, Raphael released his third album, Caravane×Caravane14 March 2005 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Caravane3:332Ne partons pas fâchés3:153C’est bon aujourd’hui2:104Chanson pour Patrick Dewaere3:495Et dans 150 ans2:356Les Petits Bâteaux3:267La Route de nuit3:028Schengen3:169Peut-être a‐t‐il rêvé?2:4610La Ballade du pauvre3:4011Funambule3:2112Caravana3:3013En un siglo verás (remix)2:3614Canción de Patrick Dewaere3:4815Qué bueno hoy2:09, to huge critical acclaim and commercial success. He received three Music's Victories in 2006.
In September 2006, Raphael released the double live album Résistance à la nuit×Résistance à la nuit15 September 2006 · Album · LiveSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 17 tracks1Funambule3:132La Route de nuit3:033Ne partons pas fâchés4:124C’est bon aujourd’hui2:285Chanson pour Patrick Dewaere4:39619003:457Schengen4:488La Petite Chanson2:319Au temps des colonies2:2710Ô compagnons3:1711Peut-être a‐t‐il rêvé?3:1412Les Petits Bateaux3:1813La Ballade du pauvre4:1014Sur la route6:2815Ceci n’est pas un adieu3:1616Caravane4:4917Et dans 150 ans4:28 featuring songs from his first three albums as well as a nod to Íngrid Betancourt in the form of the songs La petite chanson and Ceci n'est pas un adieu.
At the beginning of 2007, Raphael became a member of the supergroup Les Aventuriers d'un autre Monde with Jean-Louis Aubert, Alain Bashung, Cali, Daniel Darc, and Richard Kolinka.
In February 2007, Raphael released his live acoustic album Une nuit au Châtelet×Une nuit au Châtelet26 February 2007 · Album · LiveSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 17 tracks1Happe3:242J’l’ai pas touchée4:173C’est bon aujourd’hui3:22419004:215Élégie funèbre4:376Ceci n’est pas un adieu3:237Elisa3:158Caravane3:549Sur mon cou4:1710Les Petits Bateaux3:3811Saint‐Étienne3:0612Des mots4:0613Sur la route3:4914Poste restante3:0815Ne partons pas fachés5:2816Une petite cantate3:4217Et dans 150 ans4:39 which is partly a tribute to French singers such as Bernard Lavilliers, Gérard Manset, and Serge Gainsbourg. Amongst the many musicians working on this project was ex-David Bowie pianist Mike Garson.
Raphael's fourth studio album, Je sais que la terre est plate×Je sais que la Terre est plate14 March 2008 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 17 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Le Vent de l’hiver3:282Je sais que la Terre est plate2:293Adieu Haïti3:024Le Petit Train3:175Sixième Étage3:226La Jonque3:057Quand c’est toi qui conduis3:068Concordia3:199Tess3:3610Les Limites du monde3:2711Transsibérien3:02Disc 21Le Vent de l’hiver (version alternative)3:332Le Petit Train (mixé par Mark Plati)3:283Salinas3:284Sixième Étage (live)4:085Et dans 150 ans (live)3:126La Réalité (live)4:09 was released on 17 March 2008. This album featured the song Haïti, a collaboration with the Jamaican group Toots & the Maytals.
On 27 September 2010, Raphael released his fifth studio album, Pacific 231×Pacific 23120 September 2010 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Terminal 2B2:132Bar de l’hôtel3:163Locomotive3:554La Petite Misère2:565Manteau jaune2:446Je hais les dimanches3:037Ce doit être l’amour3:088Le Patriote3:189Versailles3:2710Dharma Blues3:3511Je détruis tout2:4212Prochaine Station3:3313Odyssée de l’espèce2:51Disc 21L’Alphabet des gens3:212Dépression N° 72:543La Fée1:56.

Other work

In 1999, Raphael made a brief appearance in the comedy film Peut-être (French: Maybe), directed by Cédric Klapisch. He would subsequently had small roles in The Dancer (2000) and the television film Les grand gamins. In 2010, Raphael portrayed the character of Louis in Ces amours-là, directed by Claude Lelouch. The film was premiered in France on 15 September 2011.